NBC and CBS Tout 'Defiant' Hillary Clinton 'On Offense' Over Benghazi

On Friday, both NBC's Today and CBS This Morning dutifully promoted quotes from Hillary Clinton's new memoir leaked to Politico of the former Secretary of State blasting critics of her mishandling of the Benghazi terrorist attack. Today co-host Savannah Guthrie proclaimed: "If there was any doubt Hillary Clinton's clearly ready to go on offense on this." Political director Chuck Todd agreed: "There's no doubt at all. In fact, there's a concerted campaign effort." [Listen to the audio]

On CBS This Morning, correspondent Nancy Cordes declared: "...the former Secretary of State strikes a defiant tone about the attack and all the investigations into it..."
Moments later, Cordes observed: "Democrats are going to see this as a
kind of template for how to talk about the Benghazi attacks. In fact,
the Clinton team is reportedly meeting with Democratic groups to explain
her tone in the book so that everyone is on the same page."

Todd similarly noted on Today: "I know of Hillary Clinton
advisers have been meeting with Democratic strategists around town here
in Washington to go back and forth, let them know what's in this
Benghazi chapter. Now, of course, the public knows."

Todd also applauded Clinton's "strategy" in pushing the memoir: "She's
sitting down with Fox News – which has been one of the news
organizations that's been riding this Benghazi story more than anybody –
because they [Clinton's team] want to get this out of the way
now....They don't want Benghazi hanging over her head and these
questions and the investigations during when the campaign actually
begins."

Both Guthrie and Cordes recited Clinton's talking points from the book:

I will not be a part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead
Americans. It's just plain wrong and it's unworthy of our great country.
Those who insist on politicizing the tragedy will have to do so without
me....Many of these same people are a broken record about unanswered
questions. But there is a difference between unanswered questions and
unlistened to answers.

Following the report from Cordes, This Morning co-host Charlie
Rose made sure to squeeze in one more bit of spin: "You should
note...that the Secretary says that some people that night were
motivated by the video and others were not. They were motivated by two
different things."

Cordes briefly summarized the GOP response: "Republicans are gonna say
that she's trying to get out of discussing this issue, both before
Congress and on the campaign trail." Guthrie and Todd didn't bother with
such criticism. Neither broadcast featured a quote from a single
Republican.

ABC's Good Morning America skipped Clinton's Benghazi
commentary completely, but did find time to tout a "secret off-the-books
meeting between Hillary Clinton and President Obama at the White House"
that "prompts new talk of [a] presidential run."

Here is a transcript of the May 30 exchange between Guthrie and Todd on Today:

7:08 AM ET

(...)

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: On another topic, Politico has a big scoop this
morning. It has obtained the chapter on Benghazi from Hillary Clinton's
new book.

Let me read you a couple of quotes. The first one, she says, "I will
not be a part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead Americans.
It's just plain wrong and it's unworthy of our great country. Those who
insist on politicizing the tragedy will have to do so without me." And
then she goes on to say about her critics, Chuck, "Many of these same
people are a broken record about unanswered questions. But there is a
difference between unanswered questions and unlistened to answers." If
there was any doubt Hillary Clinton's clearly ready to go on offense on
this.

CHUCK TODD: There's no doubt at all. In fact, there's a concerted
campaign effort. You know, I know of Hillary Clinton advisers have been
meeting with Democratic strategists around town here in Washington to go
back and forth, let them know what's in this Benghazi chapter. Now, of
course, the public knows.

But look at her strategy and the rollout of the book. She's sitting
down with Fox News – which has been one of the news organizations that's
been riding this Benghazi story more than anybody – because they
[Clinton's team] want to get this out of the way now, Savannah. They
don't want Benghazi hanging over her head and these questions and the
investigations during when the campaign actually begins.

GUTHRIE: Alright, Chuck Todd with a lot of headlines out of Washington this morning, thank you.

Here is a full transcript of the May 30 report from Cordes on This Morning:

7:10 AM ET

GAYLE KING: This morning we are seeing Hillary Clinton lash out at her
critics over the assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Nancy
Cordes is in Washington with a portion of the former Secretary of
State's new memoir obtained by Politico. Nancy, good morning to you.

NANCY CORDES: Good morning. And this is probably the most
highly-anticipated section of Hillary Clinton's new book, Hard Choices,
because it is the topic that Republicans will raise against her most
often if she decides to run for president. It's a chapter on Benghazi.
And according to Politico, which obtained or was leaked a copy of that
chapter, it is thirty-four pages long and in it the former Secretary of
State strikes a defiant tone about the attack and all the investigations
into it, the attack that led to the deaths of four Americans in 2012,
including the U.S. ambassador to Libya.

She says in that chapter that, "Those who exploit this tragedy over
and over as a political tool minimize the sacrifice of those who served
our country." And she goes on to say, "Many of these same people are a
broken record about unanswered questions. But there is a difference
between unanswered questions and unlistened to answers."

There's a good chance that Clinton is going to be called to testify
before a new House committee that has just been formed to investigate
yet again the Benghazi attacks. But she writes, and this is interesting,
"I will not be part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead
Americans. It's just plain wrong and it's unworthy of our great country.
Those who insist on politicizing the tragedy will have to do so without
me."

Republicans are gonna say that she's trying to get out of discussing
this issue, both before Congress and on the campaign trail. But
Democrats are going to see this as a kind of template for how to talk
about the Benghazi attacks. In fact, the Clinton team is reportedly
meeting with Democratic groups to explain her tone in the book so that
everyone is on the same page.

Charlie, we should note that the book, Hard choices, is being published by Simon & Schuster, which is a division of CBS.

CHARLIE ROSE: Hey, Nancy, thank you. You should note, Gayle, for
example, that the Secretary says that some people that night were
motivated by the video and others were not. They were motivated by two
different things.

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